The Great Interior Design Challenge

Its a bit of a British invasion for the blog right now, since I'm neck-deep in preparing for my sister's Cath Kidston-themed birthday shindig at home tomorrow. I'll be pretty busy because I not only have to decorate the house, I also have to cook two types of pasta for her party tomorrow - and to add another challenge to that, my slipped disc has been acting up lately, probably from the stress that I've been experiencing with the drive to the office, and with the stuff going on at the the office.

Taking a bit of time to relax, and I was able to download the two seasons of BBC's The Great Interior Design Challenge. I chanced upon the first few episodes of Season 2 on Youtube, and I enjoyed it so much I decided to download both seasons, and it took about 2 weeks for it to be completed. Not a lot of people seed it.

I was already able to finish Season 2, and now I'm watching Season1, what a reversal, huh?

Well, I decided to write about Season 1's Episode 7 because I got a bit excited that they showed a Macbook. Fine, fine, I'm probably obsessing about Macs again like a rabid fanboy, but the Mac was just something that caught my attention, which made me pay attention more to that particular episode, and the designer that was using the laptop.

So how this show works, each episode is composed of 3 amateur designers from all-over the UK, with either a bit of a background dabbling in interior design. These 3 designers are given their first clients, and they are given 48 hours in a span of 3 days to transform the semi-identical rooms in the houses that are part of the architectural theme for that particular episode. They have to fulfil the designer's brief of the homeowners, while injecting their own personality, creativity, and originality in the process.

What I love about the show is the viewers also get to learn about the diverse and rich architectural history of the UK - which comprises the theme of each episode. They've designed rooms in Edwardian house, Victorian mansions, Medieval homes, boat houses on the Thames - you name it, they've probably shown it.

To introduce the amateur designers, they show glimpses of the contestant's own house. Now here's where it got interesting for me. One of Season 1 Episode 7's contestants, Johnny, was in-between homes. Yes, read between the lines. What was shown as his home was a Volkswagen van that had a mattress and three funky coats of his. He's a painter and decorator, but he wants to make the move to become an interior designer, and he was shown working on designs on his Macbook in coffee shops.

For the Mac alone, I was betting on him winning that particular episode already. And then he goes and pulls this off - here's a picture of the living area that he was to transform:

It seemed a bit bland and confused. A hodgepodge of furniture, and it didn't have an eclectic look. Plus, the homeowners wanted to update to a more modern look. After his three days, the room looked like this:

It wasn't a sure-win though, because the other two designers really came up with brilliant and excellent designs as well. What made the judges choose him was his bold risk to make the room asymmetrical. I myself would have preferred a symmetrical room, take the focal wall, build even shelvings on the side, and dress it up a bit. But his bold decision to create modern floating shelves, that (look at the edge) ate up into the entrance from the other room area, actually tied the two rooms together. Brilliant. For that, the judges chose him to be elevated into the semi-finals. He was shocked himself. He took a risk, and it paid off. The Macbook helped a lot too, I'm sure. 

Give this tv series a shot. It isn't noisy or full of drama, but the raw talent of these amateur designers will keep you looking forward to the next episode and the next episode and the next - you get the picture. 

Ronald Ventura, Big and Small

I'm so looking forward to this exhibit in Ayala Museum. Hope everyone can find time to visit.

One of Ronald Ventura's creations was sold in auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong for $1.1M, last 2011. Here's a chance to see some of his artworks from the collection of Dr. Joel Mendez. 

Drapery of Red by Marina Monina Ceriola, Oil on Canvas

Here is the framed product! Proudly hanging on my office's wall. Had to relocate the Jaime Gubaton House Series to the perpendicular wall. I love the frame!

A-List is Back with Paintings

I know it isn't an excuse - that I've been busy the past few months. I recently opened up the blog again, and realized I am still getting a steady influx of views. So It is quite unfortunate that I haven't been updating. What drove me further was when I received a text message from a good friend of mine, Len Bayas, who had just recently discovered that I had this blog.

As I said, being busy isn't really much of an excuse, I mean, I still was able to eat out the past few months, right? I was able to go out of town at least once in the past year. The characters that will be accompanying me in this portion of my journey may have changed - haven't been able to keep in touch with the original characters of A-List Manila, to whom we really owe the inspiration of my having started this blog to begin with. And, is A-List still showing in the US anyway? If in which case, let's push this further to new heights.

Moving forward, you won't be hearing that much anymore about Derek and his friends, we seldom see each other anymore, save for the occassional accidental encounter in BGC. My partner in crime now is Kim. So A-List Manila readers, I'd like everyone to meet Kim :)

I underwent so many changes in the past year. Many of you must know already that I am a collector. It all started with stamps back when I was in grade school. Then, I got into collecting Coca-cola memorabilia in high school. Now, I collect paintings. I try to paint also, but that's a different story which deserves another post. Yes, I got fascinated with paintings, and it all started with an art exhibit that I organized in One Serendra.

One of the artists that we featured was Ediefer Gutierrez, and I fell in love with a painting of his. It was an untitled nude of a woman he met in Puerto Galera. It spent several days in my office (as some of the paintings was temporarily stored there prior to the exhibit), and I couldn't stop looking at it.

It's a bit difficult posting pictures of paintings, because, really, pictures will never do these works of art justice, regardless of whether I use an SLR. I love the androgynous look Ediefer's model had about her. So after countless thinking and re-thinking, and after consulting my good friend (who also happens to be a painter), Franco Melendres, I took the plunge and bought it.

From thereon I was hooked. I started looking up paintings online, systems in which a collector can use to record their collection, and have even considered taking up Masters in Art Studies in UP Diliman - this one I'm really quite intent on pursuing.

My next purchase was sometime April this year after I received my performance bonus from my company, and was a Mediterranean seascape from a European artist. This work of art I purchased from Gintong Sining in Glorietta 4.

Most of you are probably realizing now that most of the paintings I like have texture and are more impressionistic.

I visit a lot of art galleries during my spare time, and have visited museums in Metro Manila. Kim and I even went on a sojourn to Angono, Rizal, and visited Nemiranda's Arthouse and the Blanco Museum. Really awesome, if you guys are looking for something to do during a Saturday that doesn't involve going to clubs.

I also commissioned a painting from my friend, Franco Melendres. I'll dig up some pictures of his works and post it here soon so that you guys can see how brilliant an artist he is.

I also recently discovered contemporary artworks. My recent proud acquisition is Jaime Gubaton's House series from Gallery Big in LRI. If the watercolor looks familiar, it was recently featured in an article entitled 14 Artworks Under PhP 5,000.00, link of which I am posting below the painting.

http://manila.coconuts.co/2014/02/13/10-artworks-under-php5000-art-all-manila

I often frequent the Future Market in Escolta, sponsored by 98B, where I discovered works from Anjo Bolarda all at really affordable prices. Anjo Bolarda has recently concluded a show in Vinyl On Vinyl called Sorry for the Inconvenience.

I purchased two of his acrylic painting on wood blocks and made them into a diptych, which was then hung in our guest room.

Pardon my hideous looking comforter, was so proud of them, so soon as I got home, I just had to take a picture of these two. Will share photos later on of how I had them framed and how they're faring in the guest room.

From Future Market, I also met the lovely Sheila Ledesma whose paintings were another case of love at first sight for me. She called these her ectoplasmic series, and I just love how she was able to make the acrylic colors swirl.

As you can see, my iPad and its Capdase casing photobombed the picture.

These are how the paintings looked after I had them framed in FramePlus.

I'll be coming up with an article also on this lovely frame shop I drive to for my framing needs. They are so affordable, and with an expensive addiction such as paintings, you really need to know where to get your artworks framed without denting your wallet.

Hope everybody's up to speed on what's new in A-List Manila. I am so looking forward to indoctrinating the readers to the art galleries and exhibits that I'll be visiting pretty soon.

If you're interested in any of the artists whose works I featured, please feel free to leave me message and I'll give you their contact information.